AZ Air Conditioning and Heating Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Pasadena’

Everyone wants their heating systems to last forever. After going through all the hassle of researching available heating systems, selecting one that fits your needs, finding a contractor, tearing out your old heating system, and installing a new one, it’s no wonder that you don’t want to repeat the process ever again.

Unfortunately, no matter how well-constructed or well-maintained your heating system is, you will eventually have to replace it. When will that time arrive, though? Well, there’s no way to pinpoint exactly when your heating system will reach the end of its life. However, there are signs that will indicate that it is getting close. Read on for a list of signs that indicate it’s time for a new heating installation.

Increase in Heating Bills

As your heating system gets older, it will slowly accumulate wear and tear on the parts inside it. This causes your heater to slowly lose efficiency over the years. Eventually, this wear and tear will become severe enough that the efficiency loss will be reflected in your monthly heating bills. If you start to notice your monthly bills rising consistently over the course of a few months, it’s a sign that the wear and tear on your system has reached significant levels. There’s nothing you can do to repair parts that are that worn out, so it’s better to replace the system.

Rise in Repairs

Another symptom of advanced wear on your heating system is an increase in repair needs. A part that gets that worn out will eventually break and require replacement. As each part accumulates wear and tear at a slightly different rate, this will cause parts to start failing in rapid succession. If your heating system starts requiring repairs every few months instead of once or twice a year, it means that most of the parts inside it are worn out. You could just replace every part inside the system, but that would almost certainly end up being more expensive than getting an entirely new system.

If you have decided to install a tankless water heater in your Pasadena home, you still need to make one more decision, and that is what kind of fuel you’ll use. There are two choices when it comes to fueling a tankless water heater: electricity or natural gas. Which one is best for your home? Let’s take a look.

Natural Gas

A natural gas tankless water heater requires access to a natural gas line. The installation costs for a natural gas tankless heater can be more than an electric one, but if you already have natural gas in your home, it may be a more natural choice. The main challenge with the installation of a gas tankless water heater is that the venting is very specific and complex, and many times most homes do not have the proper equipment for venting already present. This means that extra work may be required to install a gas unit. Gas units are very efficient, averaging about 85% efficiency, and can cost up to 15% less to operate than their electric counterpart.

Electric

Electric tankless water heaters are about 1/3 smaller than the tankless gas units because they do not need a burner; they also do not need access to a natural gas line and as such, can be installed without adjustment as long as your electrical box has the power to support it. Typically an electric tankless water heater needs to have an electric panel that supports 200 amps. If your electrical box isn’t large enough to support the tankless heater, you may have to consider an upgrade or using a gas unit. Electric tankless heaters have very high energy efficiency ratings, usually around 98%, because they don’t lose any latent heat in the form of combustion byproducts. They can also be installed as point-of-use heaters, directly under sinks.

Deciding which type of fuel will be best for your home will depend in part on your available resources and your needs. Working with an expert from AZ Air Conditioning and Heating from start to finish can help ensure that you install a tankless water heater in your Pasadena home that will fit your needs for many years.